Curtain-stretcher.



s. GLEAVES.

CURTAIN STRETGHER. APPLICATION PIILED 0OT.11, 1912.

1,0?3,341; Patented Sept. 16,1913.

i'mrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL GLEAVEB, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

' CURTAIN STRETGHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October-11, 1912. Serial No. 725,301.

Patented Sept. 16, 1 913.

To all whom it may concern- Be it kno n that I, SAMU L Gr ev s, a citizen of the United States, residm at, Salt Lake C1tv, m the county of Salt Jake, and State of Utah, have lnvented new and useful Improvements in Curtam-Stretchers, f which he following is a specification.

This nvention relates to curta n-stretch;

ers; n a fo an bj ct t .r ide a device of thi character which Wl v embody an extensible stretching frame having means thereon to grip. the curtain positively so. that. upon adjustment ofthe frame, the curtain may be accurately and efi'ectively stretched.

A further object. of the invention is to provide an extensible stretching frame which is adapted to be collapsed when not in use so that it may be stored in a very small sfiaee v Anot er object is to provide, readily ops erated means by which the frame may be secured in either its collapsed or its .exs tended, operative position, so as to effectively lock the movable arts of the frame against movement in eit er of these positions.

A further object of the invention is the provision of corner members and telescopic intermediate members conn cting; the angularly extended arms of the sa d corner members, the said intermediate portions be-. ing formed so as to move islidahly within the arms of the corner members and havlng a plurality of relatively movable resil ent gripping teeth thereon which are adapted to normally spring outwardly nto a position flush with the hooks prnvidcdon the arms of the corner members as the device is being extended and the hooks become free from their position within the slots of the said arms. I

With these and other objects n V ew, the invention consists of certain novel features of nstruction comb na ion a d arr n e-v ment of P a ill e here naf d scribed and claimed, I

In the accompany ng dlitWll'lgSf-:Elgl11-8 1 is a plan view of the stretcher, showing the frame in extended posit on; Fig, 2 1s a p n view f t esflm showmg the frame meollapsed poslt on' F gs. 3 and 4: are detail sectional views through one of the side portions of the frame; and Fig. 5 is a frogmentary perspect ve view of one of the intermediate sections.

The stretcher. as shown in the drawingco nprises an extensible frame, which in eludes. the corner members 1 and the telescopic intermediate sections 2. Each corner member consists of the angularly-cxtending, longitudinal and lateral arms 3 and 4, respectively, which ere connected at their meeting ends by means of the adjustable hinge 5, which will be more fully described hereinafter. Each arm of each corner memher is constructed of rolled sheet metal, preferably which is substantially ovalshaped in cross section and provides a 1onitudinal slot or guideway 6 for the recept on of the corresponding intermediate section 2 which is adapted to be slidably mounted therein. Each intermediate section 2 is constructed from sheet metal and is in the form of a double roll consisting of a Semi. oval body portion 7 which conforms in shape to the inner periphery of the cometing'arms of the adjacent corner members in which it'is mounted for slidable movemer t, and a movable portion 8 having a plural ty of swinging fingers 9 formed thereon by the provision of a plurality of longitudinally spaced incisions 10 extendme from points adjacent the fold 11 in the said intermediate section to the outer edge thereof, where the fingers are provided with engaging hooks 12. Each intermediate sec: tion is adapted to be secured within the Wo king ots of the aid arm of the -i nor members due to the provision'of an inbent flange 13 on the upper free edge of each of said arms and which engage en at he. aid fo d 11 in h intermediat section, and also due to the configuration of he y nor-h n 7 wh h fits nuglv wit the receiving slots or guideways. Each i'ntermediete sectlon 2 is formed of resilient metal, so that the fingers 9 are adapted to swing normally into their outermost pos'i formed thereon will be in alinement with the hooks 15 formed on the said inner portion 14: of the said arms, thus efiecting their engagement with the curtain which is adapted to be associated with the said hooks in order that it may bestretched upon extension of the frame. When the corresponding arms of the corner members are forced toward each other during the act of closing the frame, the fingers 9 on the intermediate sections must necessarily be sprung in-- wardly so that they will become engaged within the guideways of "the said arms.

The intermediate sections at the ends of the frame are each divided intotwo portions 16 and 17, which are connected at their meeting ends by means of a hlnge 18, which is attached to the outside thereof to permit the said meeting ends to be swung inwardly, when it is desired to collapse the frame, this motion being permitted by the hinges 5 provided for this purpose at the juncture between the side arms of the corner members.

Each hinge 5 comprises a pair of coacting members, each consisting of a body, portion 19, which extends longitudinally with respect to one of the arms of the corner members of which it forms a part and to the upper surface of which arm it is attached by meansv of suitable rivets 20, and a pair of laterally extending lugs 21 and 22. The

I lugs 21 on each of the coacting members which constitute each hinge are pivotally connected by means of a suitable bolt member 23, whereas the lugs 22' are adapted to be temporarily connected by means of a locking pin 24 which is adapted to pass through the alining openings therein when the frame is in collapsed position, with the companion arms of the corner members lying in parallel planes. When the frame is in its extended position, the locking pin 24 is adapted to be inserted through an opening 25 provided in the body portion 19 of one of the hing members, at one side of the pivotal connection with the lugs 21, and

. through the opening in the lug 22 of the coacting hinge member, thus locking the frame in this position.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided an extensible frame which is adapted to be collapsed so as to occupy a small amount of space, that I have rovided means for locking the movable cements of the frame in either its collapsed position or the extended position of the frame; and that I have provided a plurality of hooks on the side members of the. frame, which are constituted by the corresponding arms of the corner members and the intermediate telescopic sections, which are in direct alinement 'with each other, no matter what-the adjusted position .ing ends and prbvide extendlng guldeways, intermediate side secof-the said side portions of the frame may be, so that the hooks will evenly engage the cloth to be stretched within the frame.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A curtain stretcher comprising a frame having corner members including longitudinal and lateral arms ivotcd at their meetwith longitudinally tions telescopically mounted within the guideways of the adjacent longitudinal arms of the corner members, intermediate end sections telescopically mounted within the guideways of the lateral arms thereof, the said intermediate end sections consisting of centrally pivoted portions adapted to swing inwardly as the lateral arms of the corner members are swung inwardly in collapsed position, and a plurality of en aging hooks formed on the inner edges of the said. intermediate sections and the armsof the corner members. t

2. A curtain stretcher comprising corner members having angularly-extending arms provided with longitudinal guideways openingaj; the inner edges thereof, intermediate section's slidably mounted within the guideways of the adjacent arms of the said corner members a plurality of engaging hooks provided on the inner edge of each arm of the corner members, a plurality of resilient fingers formed on the said intermediate sections, an engaging hook formed on each of said fingers and adapted to aline withthe hooks carried by the arms of the corner members when in operative position between the adjacent ends of the said arms, the said fingers being adapted to be slidably mounted within the guideways ofthe said arms and to spring outwardly upon being freed therefrom to bring the hooks provided thereon into alinement with the said arm-carried hooks.

3. In a device ofthe class described, apair of alining arms, each arm being formed from sheet metal so as to provide alongitudinal guide slot opening through the 'inner side and end thereof, a plurality of engaging hooks'provided upon each of said arms at one side edge of its slot an intermediate section connecting said arms and telescopically mounted within the guide slots thereof, and a plurality of. yieldable hooks provided on said, intermediate section for slidable movement within the arm slots, said hooks being adapted individually to spring outwardly into alinement with the arm-carried hooks uponbeingfreed from the ends of the arm slots.

4. A device of the class described comprising-a frame including corner members having pivoted arms, the meeting ends of the correspondin arms of adjacent corner members being plvotally connected, one arm of each corner member being provided adarm in different angularly' adjusted posi- 'jacent its point of pivotal connection with tions. 10

the companion members with openings angu- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature larly spaced With respect thereto, the comin'presence of two witnesses. panion arm being provided with an opening, SAMUEL GLE-AVES; and means adapted to be mounted movably \Vitnesses: in the latter opening for engagement Within J. FLETCHER, J r.,

any one of said openings to'secure the said MARION F. MERRILL. 

